U.S. District Court Revives Woodhull's FOSTA Challenge

U.S. District Court Revives Woodhull's FOSTA Challenge

WASHINGTON, D.C. — This morning, the Washington D.C. Court of Appeals revived a legal challenge filed by the Woodhull Freedom Foundation against the U.S. government to block enforcement of the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA).

Today’s decision reversed a prior district court judge’s decision to dismiss the case. The Woodhull Foundation was joined by a prestigious group of free speech and sexual expression organizations that argued in September 2019 to have the prior decision reversed.

“The court ordered that the constitutional challenge be sent back to the district court,” the Woodhull Foundation tweeted today, for a ruling on the merits of the challenge.

“We are thrilled with the victory in this incredibly important case,” Ricci Levy, President and CEO of Woodhull, said. “We are committed to fighting this unconstitutional and dangerous law to the end.”

The Internet Archive, Human Rights Watch and two individuals, Alex Andrews and Eric Koszyk, joined Woodhull as appellants who questioned the constitutional status of the controversial FOSTA legislation.

“The entire legal team worked tirelessly in this appeal, and we are happy to see that the constitutional challenge is moving forward,” said Lawrence G. Walters, Esq., General Counsel to Woodhull, and a member of the legal team challenging FOSTA.

XBIZ will update this story with additional details as warranted.

Follow the Woodhull Freedom Foundation online and on Twitter.

For more of XBIZ's ongoing coverage of the fight against FOSTA, click here.

Woodhull Appeal Decision JAN 2020

Copyright © 2026 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Italian Court in Aylo Case Limits International Reach of AV Rules

An Italian administrative court has ruled that Italy’s recently-enacted age verification rules for adult content may not currently be enforced against sites based in other EU member states, pending further procedural action under the EU’s Directive on Electronic Commerce.

OCC, FDIC Prohibit Use of 'Reputation Risk' by Regulators

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) on Tuesday issued a final rule codifying the elimination of ‘reputation risk’ from their supervision of financial institutions.

Wisconsin Governor Vetoes Age Verification Bill

Gov. Tony Evers on Friday vetoed AB 105, an age verification bill that would have allowed anyone to sue adult content providers for damages over alleged failure to age-verify users in Wisconsin, with penalties of up to $10,000 per violation.

FSC Releases Statement on Wisconsin Governor Vetoing AV Bill

The Free Speech Coalition has released a statement on Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers' veto of the state's age verification legislation.

AV Bulletin: West Virginia Enacts AV Law, Ohio 'Innocence Act' Advances

This roundup provides an update on the latest news and developments on the age verification front as it impacts the adult industry.

Woodhull Survey Reveals Concern Among Sex Educators Over AV Laws' Impact on Access

A national survey of sex educators by the Woodhull Freedom Foundation found that a majority of sex educators and sexual health professionals are concerned that age verification (AV) laws will negatively impact access to information and resources.

Clips4Sale Wins Trademark Infringement Case Against Fraudulent Domain

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has ruled in favor of content platform Clips4Sale in a case against a website using a similar domain to impersonate the site.

Pineapple Support, SextPanther to Host Stress Management Support Group

Pineapple Support and SextPanther are hosting a free online support group focused on stress management for performers.

Goddess Tangent Launches New Site Through Grooby's Blue.xxx

Goddess Tangent has launched her new membership site, TangentOD.com, through Grooby's website management company Blue.xxx.

Show More